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A real moto cafe

BTW, I've always thought the Silver Crest Diner on Bayshore Blvd would be a great locale for a biker cafe, where being between several highways is a big positive.
 
Vexar said:
Ideas that would make it a motorcycle cafe to me.
  • A shop where you could get repairs done.
  • Parts and other bits.
  • Motorcycle themed sports viewing of all kinds all MotoGP, MotoAmerica, and all the other races on a endless loop including the historical races.
  • Motorcycle Towing services.
  • Network Connection free basic WIFI for all (slow rate)? Boosted WIFI speeds for anyone spending X amount of money at Y rate, both?
  • Motorcycle rider and safety training, people that can teach you to ride safe, so Doc Wong get a few people like that can fill the schedule every weekend to keep people coming and have the beginning of each class be a riders meeting where people will buy coffee and treats or get breakfast or lunch before launching. Maybe have 3 per day on the weekend during the season, early morning, lunch and late lunch so you can manage the flow of people you need to serve during the day.
  • Offer basic Motorcycle mechanic training, basics on fixing your bike, maybe this could even be in the evening all year round so you can have an evening crowd to keep the flow of customers all the way to the end til closing time.
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Nothing wrong with this list, but it's the anti-thesis of a "destination cafe", wherein the "journey is the reward".

Most of the cafes folks seem to like are in places that are interesting to get to, which typically means they're remote, over "challenging" roads, etc. Places like The Rock Store and Newcombs Ranch in So Cal.

It's very difficult to imagine that a "motorcycle shop with a coffee bar" would work well in those destinations.

They need ready access to walk in customers, easy access for them to bring their bikes in, easy access to be able to go out and get parts and what not from other stores, etc.

I've been to two "public" viewings of Daytona. One, I don't know who organized it, was hosted at a Hooters. They planned it with the restaurant, and "we" just took it over. It helped that it was effectively early morning, which isn't a busy time for a Hooters.

The other was just a crowd from a mailing list where we showed up at a Sports Bar (which just opened for the day), and took over a TV set. For this, we weren't that many people, we just agreed to meet and showed up -- didn't really see a need for asking permission beyond calling as to whether they were open, and they had no problem changing the channel to show the race for us.

I can see how a shop might combine with a cafe, kind of like those Bar and Laundromat combos. One of the things I liked about Vance and Hines shops back in the day was they had a "pit stop" service package. Basically, you'd show up, they'd change your oil, give the bike a look over, and you were on your merry way. Not quite "don't get out of your car" 15 Minute Lube, but, you know close enough. No appointment, they took most any bike, and the turn around was really fast.

Could they have had a few more creature comforts? Sure, I guess. They were a motorcycle maintenance and repair shop with some performance parts (they also had a couple used bikes), obviously a restaurant wasn't there business.

I honestly don't think that adding a cafe would have really helped -- they weren't in the greatest of locations, for example, but they weren't horrible. No reason to not go to one of these vs the local Denny's, for example. But small, hole in the wall cafe's have their own charm and "location" is one of them.

Especially for motorcyclists.
 
Just to add to this topic, if one were seriously considering this, a possible lower barrier to entry would be to get a food truck and post up at 4 corners or somewhere along hwy 1, away from Alice's.

Give a small discount to riders, offer tire plug services, serve up GREAT espresso drinks, have some plexus and chain lube handy for tip jar. Just be out there on the weekends and see how it goes. Get a following, then open up retail if you are seeing promise.

Optimum: Buy a VW bus, tow your supermoto out, espresso machinery in the back. Go out riding for an hour, then serve coffee for 2. If it gets slow, just go out for a small jaunt and return. Kill two birds with one stone. Maybe even tow a group of visiting riders around. :party
 
Great input everyone, so the general consensus is that the market is too niche / cheap to pay 5 for coffee. But the way I see it is that normal consumers are welcome as well, its just another coffee shop for regular people whom are welcome to as well. Yes the decor and atmosphere is a bit different but nothing would make an average Joe feel uncomfortable. If all these coffee chains are able to keeps door open, whats wrong with one more with some attitude?? The bike orientation is a bonus on top of the great coffee, so it really is just a startbucks but moto themed, and with all the services mentioned by Vexar. How would it not work??
 
saleenr6 said:
The bike orientation is a bonus on top of the great coffee, so it really is just a startbucks but moto themed, and with all the services mentioned by Vexar. How would it not work??
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It could certainly work.

We have a Not-Starbucks coffee place near us that seems to be popular with Bicyclists.

Why? I have no idea.

Maybe it's bigger than Starbucks.

Maybe it's cheaper than Starbucks.

Maybe bicyclists culturally hate Starbucks.

But it's not a "bicyclist coffee spot", it's just...coffee...with bicyclists.
 
Bicycles and coffee are an old couple, the marketing folks have recently led us to believe that if you don't stop at your local, cycling/Italian themed hang for an espresso and pastry before and after your 150 mile gravel only fireroad road 10,000 feet bike ride, you're not a true hard(wo)man

I worked at a very successful bicycle shop , that had a decent espresso bar. We partnered with a local chain (jj bean) who did a blend for us, and took our groms for a week to train them at their locations. Folks would stop in before rides, have a coffee and shoot the shit, then go out. Sometimes they would even buy stuff.. I was running the service side of the shop, I usually just used it to stall people while we were finishing their service :)

But the shop came first, the scene established and supported by the shop for years. Coffee was just a bonus- I don't know if we really have a cohesive MC community here, like the (cycling) one I was a part of in Vancouver, BC. You can't just throw a bunch of vintage bikes in the window and expect a community to form around it. We "lost" money on the coffee.

Here is an example of a super well done bicycle theme coffee spot- which is more in line with what y'all are thinking. No service or sales, beyond little things (tire repair, gloves/socks for colder than expected days, etc). The owner of the cafe there was a racer and was well known in the community, and used the cafe to support racing teams etc. They made it easy for cyclists to park (big race style racks with free cable locks) big huge tables made from velodrome boards for scatting all your crap, lots of hooks for wet rain gear etc. http://musettecaffe.com/
 
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455729


Café Tibet was pretty cool.
 
JohnEPA said:
I know Gary B (who wrote for Cycle World - https://www.cycleworld.com/authors/gaz-boulanger) was pushing Red Rock Coffee in Mountain View this way a little. He was hosting get togethers and a weekly ride starting there. Not exactly what you all are talking about - but it's a start.
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Red Rock is moto friendly. One of Gary's club rides was my intro to Mt Hammy/Mines/Junction. A fun mix of 12 bikes of all types: Harley, cruisers, sport, naked, standards, & dual sports. Had a great time but my muscles were cramping at the end of that long ass ride. :laughing

Red Rock is a bustling cafe that has a relaxed vibe, great coffee and pastries. It's a non-profit shop managed by his wife. A prime location on a busy corner in downtown but too crowded to host more than coffee.

Incidentally, just one block aways 727 W. Evelyn used to be the site of Depot Garage. It's been unused for 10-15 years. It's been eons but l recall seeing a bunch of cars and junk just sitting warehoused. It's surprising given the value of real estate in the booming backyard of Google. Maybe the absentee landlord just stores his crap there. Make him/her a proposal and set up your dream shop there. It's an unutilized building with a prime location and tons of parking in back.

Gary has a club ride this Sunday. Two birds with one stone: scope the area and go on a fun ride.

https://www.moto-gaansari.com

https://www.google.com/maps/place/7...62b281d2f0059!8m2!3d37.3943252!4d-122.0777367
 
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I think the motorcycle theme should be incidental to the success of a coffee shop. Not enough riders to support the business. It's the same with airport cafes. The cafe has to have a robust local following to survive and the location on an airport and the pilot's who visit are incidental to it's success.
 
Well businesses like The Junction clearly struggle to survive as moto/auto enthusiast destinations. It's just not enough to support a cafe.

To be actually profitable, you would need to have a DT SF or DT Oakland hipster-iffic coffee joint that is 'vintage cafe racer' themed. The moto theme would add some kitch, but it wouldn't really be anything beyond another hip coffee joint. The coffee better be good. If you somehow had money left over, an airstream pop up espresso bar you could set up somewhere along popular weekend twisty routes might break even...
 
As for me, I'm not interested in riding to some urban location for coffee or moto B.S. That's what makes Alice's so good. When they were for sale I started having fantasies about buying the place. My plan would be to offer oil changes and tires at the gas station. Small accessory and apparel section. Nothing that would require a huge investment in inventory or set up.
The last thing I want to do is ride to downtown SJ or SF to get to my favorite moto themed place.

Mad
 
Maddevill said:
As for me, I'm not interested in riding to some urban location for coffee or moto B.S. That's what makes Alice's so good. When they were for sale I started having fantasies about buying the place. My plan would be to offer oil changes and tires at the gas station. Small accessory and apparel section. Nothing that would require a huge investment in inventory or set up.
The last thing I want to do is ride to downtown SJ or SF to get to my favorite moto themed place.

Mad
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It wouldn't hurt to have more moto-themed cafes would it? I'm quite curious what they are building out at STP. I went there a week ago and the construction is coming along, looks more like a garage for car repair but who knows? At least there's some proper looking restrooms being built in.

You put a cafe there, am sure it would pull business away from Alice's for those who just want a good cup of joe and a pastry instead of a $15 breakfast.
 
Someone should make a Boba Tea Moto stop. Boba is all the rage now =P
 
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